delicate

34

I stared at the couple playing pool. The girl stood right behind the other girl, bending and guiding her hand up the pool stick. She kissed her neck as her girlfriend took the shot, making her miss.

"Here."

I looked at Tyler on the other side of the bar. He put the box full of bourbon onto the bar top. I looked at him, "Thanks."

"You okay? You look distracted."

I got up from my seat. "I'm fine."

"Really? I heard about that Kai thing from Care. That really sucks."

I grabbed the box, carefully pulling it off the bar. "I know."

"You sure you don't want some help?"

I nodded as I turned away. I froze, seeing the door of the Grill open. Or rather who opened it. Kai with some other guys. I felt paralyzed. Kai's eyes landed on me. The smile on his face faltered. A faraway look crossed his face. He looked at the people with him and said something. He started walking toward me.

He stopped a few feet from me. His eyes moved from the box to my face. After a minute, he spoke. "Hi."

I held the box tighter. "Hi."

He took a breath. He looked at the box. "Do you want some help?"

"I've got it."

He looked up at my face again. "Right." He opened his mouth to speak.

"Aren't you supposed to avoid me or whatever?"

He tilted his head, "I was just -"

"Going against your own words." I looked over at the people he came in with. Their eyes were focused on us. I looked at him. "If you just didn't want to be around me anymore, you could've said that."

"That's not -"

"I have to go."

He put his hands on mine before I could walk away. "Listen to me."

"The last time I did that, I couldn't breathe after."

"Evelyn -"

"Let go of me before I scream."

He sighed and stepped back. I took the opportunity to get away from him.

I loaded the bourbon into my trunk and drove to the boarding house. I got the case before going inside. I kicked the door shut behind me more aggressively than I intended.

"What did the door do to you?"

I looked up to see Damon, Elena, Enzo, Bonnie, Caroline, and Stefan. "Someone take this before I throw it."

Damon walked over and took it from me. "What's wrong with you?"

I stepped back. "Nothing."

I walked around him toward the living room. I stood behind the couch that was seating Elena and Bonnie. Caroline and Stefan were standing together behind the opposite couch. Enzo was by the fireplace. Why his presence is necessary is questionable.

Once Damon was seated next to Elena again, the conversation started up again.

"Okay, now tell us why we're here," Bonnie directed her statement to Care and Stefan.

They glanced at each other. The smiles on their faces were nauseating.

Caroline looked over at us. She held up her left hand as she announced, "We're getting married!" The ring on her finger was huge and shiny.

A small part of me felt jealous. Not of her relationship with Stefan but of her relationship in general. She's able to have a healthy, functioning relationship that can move to another level, and I'm stuck with a relationship that can't even be real, one that I'm not even sure I want.